Toy flying machine



Aug. 5, 195s e. w. MCKINNEY" TOY FLYING MACHINE F iied A ril 14, 1955 i 5 s 0 NR 9 4a a n a a. a m mum W J m um MN BHT II M e n m m m mw a a a United States Patent TOY FLYING MACHINE Gerald W. McKinney, Long Beach, Calif.

Application April 14, 1955, Serial No. 501,283

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-78) The present invention relates to a toy flying machine, and particularly to a toy airplane capable of taking off vertically from a horizontal surface.

Conventional toy airplanes present a problem in that they require appreciable space in which to take off from a runway. These toy airplanes, as in the actual airplanes, take ofi at a slight angle to the horizontal and may fly into surrounding objects before they gain sufiicient altitude to clear the same. As a result, these conventional toy airplanes cannot be used in confined areas, but require relatively wide, open level surroundings for, their use. This is a considerable disadvantage in that such open areas are not readily accessible to children in residential communities, and such limitations on the use of toy airplanes severely limit their amusement value to children.

Accordingly, it is an important object of my invention to provide a toy flying machine that can take off in relatively confined areas.

Another object is to provide a safe toy flying machine adapted to take off vertically from a confined horizontal surface.

A further object is to provide a rugged toy airplane of suflicient low cost construction having a high amusement value for children in residential areas.

Additional objects will become apparent from the following description.

Broadly stated, the toy flying machine of the invention comprises a fuselage having a propeller rotatably mounted at the rear end thereof. Attached to the fuselarge are at least three spaced wings. The wings extend from the fuselage and sweep backward thereof beyond the propeller. The tips of the wings serve to support the fuselage vertically on a horizontal surface for vertical takeoff. A relatively simple motor, such as a rubber band motor preferably is employed to supply the motive power to the propeller at the rear end of the fuselage. The front end of the fuselage is provided with a nose preferably weighted to balance the weight of the propeller at the rear end of the fuselage so that the airplane, after gaining altitude, glides to the earth at a relatively slight angle to the horizontal.

A more detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention is given with reference to the drawing, wherein: Figure l is a side elevational view showing the structure of the wings and showing the fuselage supported vertically as for a take-ofi; Figure 2 is a front end view showing the shape of the propeller and the support and spacing of the wings; Figure 3 is a partial crosssectional view taken longitudinally of the fuselage and showing the structure of the nose, the rubber band motor and mountings, and the propeller and bearing; Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and showing the securement of the nose against turning in the fuselage; Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1 and showing the construction of the fuselage and the mounting of the wings; and Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view "ice taken along line 6-6 of Figure 3 and showing the connection of the propeller to the rear motor hook.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the fuselage 10 is of elongated generally cylindrical shape and can be made of a synthetic plastic such as styrene or a light weight metal such as aluminum, for example. The length of the fuselage is made suflicient to accommodate the rubber band motor 11, but is not a critical element of the design. Similarly, the diameter of the fuselage 10 is not critical and is made sufficiently large to conveniently accommodate motor mounting hooks 12 and 13 for the rubber band motor 11.

At the rear end of the fuselage is mounted an apertured bearing 14 also preferably made of styrene or other plastics or of a light metal, or similar material. The bearing preferably contains a circular cap portion 16 adapted to fit inside the end of the fuselage. The cap portion 16 is provided with an enlarged shoulder or flange 17 adapted to limit the inward movement of the bearing to the abutment of the shoulder 17 with the rear edge of the fuselage 10. The bearing 14 also contains a central tubular portion 18 extending rearwardly of the bearing.

The hub 19 of the propeller 21 is provided with a cylindrical hole extending part way into the hub and made of dimensions to accommodate the tubular portion 18 of the bearing 14. The cylindrical hole in the hub 19 is grooved annularly at 22 to fit over the external surface of the bearing and provide optimum alignment and minimum friction between the hub 19 of the propeller 21 and the bearing 14.

A double-pronged motor mounting hook 13 provided with a loop 23 to receive the rubber band motor 11 and provided with two hooks 24 is mounted in the tubular portion 18 of the bearing 14 so that the books 24 extend through the tubular aperture. The hooks 2 4 are keyed in the hub 19 of the propeller 21 so that the propeller 21 and book 13 turn as a unit. The propeller 21 is provided with two blades of suitable pitch, but three, or any number of blades, may be used as desired.

The nose 26 also is made of a synthetic plastic such as styrene or :a light weight metal such as aluminum, and is mounted on the front end of the fuselage 10. The nose 26 preferably is molded to have a generally conical shape and to part way fit into the end of the fuselage as in the case of cap portion 16 of bearing 14 discussed above. Further movement of the nose 26 is prevented by a shoulder 27. The nose 26 is prevented from turning in the front end of the fuselage 10 by forked members 28 gripping the ends of longitudinal ribs 29 formed on the fuselage 10. The weight of the nose 26 preferably should be somewhat greater than the total weight of the propeller 21 and the bearing 14 so that the airplane is adapted for gliding at a slight angle to the horizontal downward from any altitude at which the take-off period ends.

The double pronged motor mounting book 12 is mounted in opposed holes 31 formed in the nose 26 as shown in Figure 3. It will be observed that the hook 12 is fixed against rotation in the nose 26. The rubber band motor 11 is mounted in the loops 23 and 32 of hooks 13 and 12, respectively, and serves as the motive power for driving the propeller 21.

Three wings 33, made of a synthetic plastic such as sheet styrene, sheet aluminum, or other light metal or plastic sheet, or similar material, are mounted in the side walls of the fuselage 10 spaced equal distances with respect to each other as best shown in Figure 2. The wings 33 preferably are mounted in spaces between adjoining ribs 29 formed along the sides of each of three fuselage sections 34 (Figure 5) and running longitudinally thereof, as best shown in Figure 1. The ribs 29 of the fuselage sections 34 are heat-sealed, brazed or cemented to the surfaces of the inner edges of the wings 33 depending on whether the materials used in the wings 33 and sections 34 are plastics or metals, respectively. The Wings 33 are back-swept from the fuselage toward the rear end thereof and extend beyond the rear portions of the propeller 21, as best shown in Figure 1. The three wings 33 terminate in a common plane passing at right angles to the axis of the fuselage, and to the rear of propeller 21. Thus the wings 33 serve as a tripod for supporting the fuselage 10 vertically on a horizontal take-01f surface.

In operating the toy airplane, the fuselage 18 and propeller 21 are supported above the horizontal take-off surface with the fuselage 10 vertical thereto and supported at the rear ends of the tips of wings 33. The propeller 21 is wound up manually by turning the same until the rubber band motor 11 is fully twisted :and provided with a maximum of potential energy. Upon releasing the propeller 21, the rubber band motor 11 unwinds and rapidly rotates the propeller 21. The rapid rotation of the propeller 21 generates air pressure against the horizontal takeoff surface by developing a strong current of air directed away from the rear end of the propeller 21 and against the horizontal take-off surface. The nearness of the propeller t0 the horizontal take-off surface enhances this effect so that the force of the air current and the pressure of the air near the propeller are sufiicient to provide a rapid vertical take-off for the toy airplane. The toy airplane ascends vertically to an appreciable height before the rubher band motor 11 has completely expended its motive power. At its highest point of ascent, by virtue of the fact that the front and rear ends of the plane are approximately balanced, the toy airplane levels off and enters into a glide, at a slightly inclined angle, toward the surface of the earth.

It will be apparent that the specific embodiment of the invention described presents an efficiently designed toy airplane capable of considerable amusement and requiring a relatively small take-off area. The toy airplane described also is designed for economical and efficient construction, but at the same time is sufficiently rugged to withstand considerable mechanical shock and hard usage.

The foregoing description is primarily for explanatory purposes and is given to illustrate a specific embodiment of my invention. It is understood that many variations in the structure, design and details of the flying machine described above will occur to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is understood that such changes and modifications in the structure, design and details of the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated and described above may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

A toy airplane comprising a generally tubular fuselage, a propeller rotatably mounted at the rear end of the fuselage, means mounted inside the fuselage for driving the propeller, and at least three spaced wings extending radially from the fuselage and having outer portions extending rearwardly outwardly of the ends of said propeller and rearwardly of the plane of rotation thereof for supporting the fuselage vertically on a horizontal surface with the propeller above said surface, the fuselage being weighted to balance the weight of the propeller so that the airplane after gaining altitude glides to earth at a relatively slight angle to the horizontal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kaiser et al. Aug. 6, 1912 Myers May 18, 1954 

